04/30/2026
It's WHRC Wednesday! Did you know that April is Parliamentary Law Month? The National Association of Parliamentarians designates this annual celebration to "reinforce the vital role parliamentary procedure plays in ensuring fair and effective meetings for successful communities and organizations."
GFWC and its member clubs have long relied on parliamentary laws and procedures, and while Henry Martyn Robert (with his namesake Rules of Order) is well-known as the standard, several clubwomen have lent their expertise and experience to the world as well through published guidebooks. The top of that list is Emma A. Fox (1847-1945) of Michigan.
Fox was an early proponent of parliamentary rules for women's clubs, and in fact she wrote the book on it: "Parliamentary Usage for Women's Clubs," a handy pocket-sized volume which went through many printings. She also provided monthly parliamentary advice in the GFWC magazine for several years around the turn of the last century, as well as serving as GFWC Recording Secretary (1898-1902) and Second Vice President (1902-1904). So beloved was she by the Federation that she won not one, not two, but THREE Pioneer Awards at the 1941 Golden Jubilee (two from Michigan, and one from the national organization).
The WHRC library has eleven editions of Fox's book, ranging from 1902 to 1947. She dedicated the book "To the Club Women of America, a potent factor in the progress of civilization."
📷 Emma A. Fox, 1932; cover of the September 1901 issue of "The Club Woman," listing Fox's monthly column, "Open Parliament"; and the title page and cover of the 1921 edition of "Parliamentary Usage for Women's Clubs," all from the WHRC collections.
